Kansas City MSA vs. Missouri
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Average Earnings Per Job Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Kansas City MSA vs. Missouri
Kansas City MSA:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $71,538
2022 Percent of State = 96.86%
Missouri:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $62,528
The United States economy has generated an impressive number of jobs since the 1970s. The contrast between the nation's vigorous employment growth and the modest performance of other major industrial countries is striking. Despite this rosy track record, the real (inflation adjusted) wages and salaries of many workers have stagnated or slipped in recent years. This development has provoked concerns about the quality of new jobs. Structural shifts in the composition of employment--from high-wage goods-producing to low-wage services-related sectors--is the culprit most often cited for the deteriorating quality of jobs.
Regions vary greatly in the make-up of their labor force, in their industry composition of employment, and their economic experience. Reviewing and examining recent developments in average earnings per job in the Kansas City MSA with comparisons to Missouri and the nation is an important first step in understanding the economic forces at play in the Kansas City MSA.
Discussion: Average Annual Earnings Per Job are computed by dividing BEA total industry earnings estimates by the BEA total full- and part-time jobs estimates. No convenient or adequate means exist at the county or regional level for converting the job estimates to a full-time equivalent measure. So, interpret the average earnings per job estimates with caution in consideration of the following issues:
Average earnings per job within industries involving more part-time work is lower than industries involving more full-time work, although there could be little difference in the underlying wage of full-time workers. Such differences could also prevail between counties and regions. An increase in the proportion of part-time jobs over time may erode average earnings per job estimates, although full-time earnings per worker may have remained unchanged.
As with per capita income, average earnings per job may be subject to extreme short-run variation, especially in smaller counties. Major construction projects relating to building dams, nuclear power plants, and private plant construction projects have caused extreme fluctuations in many smaller counties. Such changes typify both small and large agriculture-dependent counties owing to the extreme annual variations in farm incomes. Also, Since average earnings per job are just a simple average, it does not account for variations in the distribution of earnings among high- vs. low-wage jobs.
Kansas City MSA Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Kansas City MSA Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Figure 1.
Figure 1 depicts the Kansas City MSA's annual average earnings per job over 1970-2022 in current and constant (2017) dollars. Constant dollar measurements remove the effects of inflation. They allow for comparison of changes in the real purchasing power of the Kansas City MSA over time.
When measured in current dollars, the Kansas City MSA's average earnings per job increased 822.90%, from $7,751 in 1970 to $71,538 in 2022. When measured in constant 2017 dollars to adjust for inflation, it advanced 57.20%, from $39,216 in 1970 to $61,648 in 2022.
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces the Kansas City MSA's and Missouri's annual real average earnings per job for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate real average earnings per job patterns over time. During this 54-year period, the Kansas City MSA's real average earnings per job rose from $38,139 in 1969 to $61,648 in 2022, for a net gain of $23,509, or 61.64%. In comparison, Missouri's real average earnings per job advanced from $35,161 in 1969 to $53,883 in 2022, for a net advance of $18,722, or 53.25%.
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows the Kansas City MSA's real average earnings per job growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Missouri, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's real average earnings per job in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the real average earnings per jobs in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in real average earnings per job growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
The Kansas City MSA's overall real average earnings per job growth was 61.64% over 1969-2022 outpaced Missouri's increase of 53.25%, and fell below the United States' increase of 62.26%.
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 depicts the trends for average earnings per job relative to the national average by tracing the Kansas City MSA and Missouri average earnings per job as a percent of the national average over 1969-2022.
In 1969, the Kansas City MSA's average earnings per job amounted to 100.32% of the national average; in 2022, it approximated 99.93%. Similarly, in 1969, Missouri's average earnings per job totaled 92.48% of the national average; in 2022, it consisted of 87.35%.
Kansas City MSA Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Kansas City MSA Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of the Kansas City MSA's real average earnings per job growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, the Kansas City MSA's real average earnings per job grew at an annual rate of 0.93% over 1970-2022. The Kansas City MSA posted its highest growth in 1992 (4.72%) and posted its lowest growth in 1974 (-4.57%). In 2022, the Kansas City MSA's real average earnings per job declined by -1.20%
Kansas City MSA Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Kansas City MSA Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some msas have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again traces the annual percent change in the Kansas City MSA's real average earnings per job since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, the Kansas City MSA's annual real average earnings per job growth rate averaged 1.09%. It averaged 0.29% during the 1980s, 1.81% throughout the 1990s, 1.09% during the 2000s, 0.75% during the 2010s, -0.30% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for the Kansas City MSA noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Missouri and the nation. As the chart reveals, the Kansas City MSA's average annual real average earnings per job growth outgained Missouri's average in the 1970s (1.09% vs. 0.95%), fell below Missouri's average during the 1980s (0.29% vs. 0.43%), topped Missouri's average throughout the 1990s (1.81% vs. 1.40%), outperformed Missouri's average during the 2000s (1.09% vs. 1.00%), led Missouri's average throughout the 2010s (0.75% vs. 0.63%), and fell below Missouri's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (-0.30% vs. -0.06%).
Finally, relative to nationwide real average earnings per job growth trends, the Kansas City MSA outgained the nation over the 1970s (1.09% vs. 0.89%), recorded underneath the nation during the 1980s (0.29% vs. 0.71%), recorded above the nation over the 1990s (1.81% vs. 1.68%), outpaced the nation in the 2000s (1.09% vs. 0.72%), trailed the nation in the 2010s (0.75% vs. 1.01%), and trailed the nation over 2020-2022 (-0.30% vs. -0.24%).
   
 
Real* Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.93
1.09
0.29
1.81
1.09
0.75
-0.30
-1.20
 
0.83
0.95
0.43
1.40
1.00
0.63
-0.06
-3.05
 
0.93
0.89
0.71
1.68
0.72
1.01
-0.24
-4.51
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Kansas City MSA:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,202
0.189
38,139
100.0
N
96.21
100.32
1970
 
7,751
0.198
39,216
102.8
2.82
97.88
102.04
1971
 
8,348
0.206
40,512
106.2
3.31
98.78
103.02
1972
 
8,945
0.213
41,980
110.1
3.62
98.93
102.93
1973
 
9,448
0.225
42,073
110.3
0.22
98.16
101.19
1974
 
9,955
0.248
40,152
105.3
-4.57
96.85
100.27
1975
 
10,859
0.269
40,429
106.0
0.69
97.90
101.37
1976
 
11,704
0.283
41,307
108.3
2.17
97.64
101.34
1977
 
12,731
0.302
42,188
110.6
2.13
98.76
102.57
1978
 
13,684
0.323
42,396
111.2
0.49
98.21
101.68
1979
 
14,896
0.351
42,388
111.1
-0.02
98.83
102.25
1980
 
15,862
0.389
40,746
106.8
-3.87
97.41
101.31
1981
 
17,161
0.424
40,460
106.1
-0.70
96.86
100.55
1982
 
18,010
0.448
40,228
105.5
-0.57
96.21
100.12
1983
 
19,028
0.467
40,767
106.9
1.34
96.30
100.57
1984
 
20,183
0.484
41,666
109.2
2.20
96.19
100.01
1985
 
21,271
0.501
42,432
111.3
1.84
96.80
100.67
1986
 
22,099
0.512
43,147
113.1
1.68
96.23
100.10
1987
 
23,056
0.528
43,665
114.5
1.20
95.80
99.69
1988
 
23,937
0.549
43,630
114.4
-0.08
94.19
98.07
1989
 
24,941
0.573
43,557
114.2
-0.17
94.22
97.96
1990
 
25,822
0.598
43,198
113.3
-0.82
93.29
97.08
1991
 
26,948
0.618
43,623
114.4
0.98
93.92
97.86
1992
 
28,972
0.634
45,684
119.8
4.72
94.60
98.62
1993
 
29,769
0.650
45,798
120.1
0.25
94.80
98.90
1994
 
30,863
0.664
46,512
122.0
1.56
95.78
99.85
1995
 
31,551
0.678
46,567
122.1
0.12
95.49
99.83
1996
 
32,859
0.692
47,483
124.5
1.97
95.93
100.15
1997
 
33,827
0.704
48,045
126.0
1.18
94.58
98.86
1998
 
35,455
0.710
49,959
131.0
3.98
94.12
98.46
1999
 
37,455
0.720
52,021
136.4
4.13
94.77
99.22
2000
 
39,549
0.738
53,574
140.5
2.99
94.48
99.11
2001
 
39,343
0.753
52,247
137.0
-2.48
90.68
94.86
2002
 
40,787
0.763
53,463
140.2
2.33
92.02
96.18
2003
 
41,631
0.779
53,446
140.1
-0.03
91.45
95.36
2004
 
42,453
0.798
53,181
139.4
-0.50
89.65
93.39
2005
 
43,772
0.821
53,298
139.7
0.22
90.08
93.84
2006
 
46,879
0.844
55,517
145.6
4.16
92.82
96.77
2007
 
48,495
0.866
55,994
146.8
0.86
94.23
98.20
2008
 
50,645
0.892
56,795
148.9
1.43
96.79
100.69
2009
 
51,469
0.889
57,881
151.8
1.91
98.88
102.85
2010
 
51,963
0.905
57,409
150.5
-0.82
95.89
99.56
2011
 
52,915
0.928
57,017
149.5
-0.68
95.19
98.66
2012
 
56,007
0.945
59,246
155.3
3.91
98.13
101.72
2013
 
57,396
0.958
59,924
157.1
1.15
99.40
102.79
2014
 
57,765
0.971
59,478
156.0
-0.75
97.93
101.36
2015
 
59,297
0.973
60,943
159.8
2.46
98.70
102.23
2016
 
58,844
0.983
59,871
157.0
-1.76
97.02
100.62
2017
 
60,664
1.000
60,664
159.1
1.32
97.02
100.56
2018
 
62,068
1.020
60,823
159.5
0.26
96.49
99.95
2019
 
64,439
1.035
62,252
163.2
2.35
96.59
100.03
2020
 
66,863
1.046
63,901
167.5
2.65
95.81
99.24
2021
 
68,012
1.090
62,395
163.6
-2.36
93.41
96.58
2022
 
71,538
1.160
61,648
161.6
-1.20
96.86
99.93
Source: Calculations by the Missouri Regional Economic Analysis Project (MO-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Missouri:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
6,639
0.189
35,161
100.0
N
92.48
1970
 
7,125
0.198
36,048
102.5
2.52
93.80
1971
 
7,617
0.206
36,966
105.1
2.55
94.00
1972
 
8,148
0.213
38,237
108.7
3.44
93.75
1973
 
8,733
0.225
38,891
110.6
1.71
93.54
1974
 
9,061
0.248
36,547
103.9
-6.03
91.27
1975
 
9,844
0.269
36,649
104.2
0.28
91.89
1976
 
10,558
0.283
37,262
106.0
1.67
91.42
1977
 
11,521
0.302
38,180
108.6
2.46
92.83
1978
 
12,467
0.323
38,625
109.9
1.17
92.64
1979
 
13,536
0.351
38,516
109.5
-0.28
92.91
1980
 
14,216
0.389
36,520
103.9
-5.18
90.80
1981
 
15,569
0.424
36,707
104.4
0.51
91.23
1982
 
16,261
0.448
36,320
103.3
-1.05
90.39
1983
 
17,010
0.467
36,442
103.6
0.33
89.90
1984
 
18,276
0.484
37,731
107.3
3.54
90.56
1985
 
19,220
0.501
38,342
109.0
1.62
90.96
1986
 
19,861
0.512
38,776
110.3
1.13
89.96
1987
 
20,946
0.528
39,670
112.8
2.30
90.57
1988
 
21,965
0.549
40,034
113.9
0.92
89.99
1989
 
22,954
0.573
40,086
114.0
0.13
90.16
1990
 
23,657
0.598
39,576
112.6
-1.27
88.94
1991
 
24,551
0.618
39,743
113.0
0.42
89.16
1992
 
26,097
0.634
41,149
117.0
3.54
88.83
1993
 
26,415
0.650
40,639
115.6
-1.24
87.76
1994
 
27,478
0.664
41,410
117.8
1.90
88.90
1995
 
28,232
0.678
41,668
118.5
0.62
89.33
1996
 
29,446
0.692
42,550
121.0
2.12
89.75
1997
 
30,619
0.704
43,489
123.7
2.21
89.48
1998
 
31,676
0.710
44,635
126.9
2.64
87.96
1999
 
33,118
0.720
45,997
130.8
3.05
87.73
2000
 
34,814
0.738
47,160
134.1
2.53
87.25
2001
 
36,021
0.753
47,835
136.0
1.43
86.85
2002
 
37,249
0.763
48,825
138.9
2.07
87.84
2003
 
38,387
0.779
49,281
140.2
0.93
87.93
2004
 
40,117
0.798
50,255
142.9
1.98
88.25
2005
 
40,757
0.821
49,627
141.1
-1.25
87.37
2006
 
42,117
0.844
49,878
141.9
0.50
86.94
2007
 
42,871
0.866
49,500
140.8
-0.76
86.81
2008
 
44,751
0.892
50,186
142.7
1.39
88.97
2009
 
45,154
0.889
50,780
144.4
1.18
90.24
2010
 
46,479
0.905
51,350
146.0
1.12
89.05
2011
 
47,140
0.928
50,795
144.5
-1.08
87.89
2012
 
48,286
0.945
51,078
145.3
0.56
87.69
2013
 
49,572
0.958
51,755
147.2
1.33
88.78
2014
 
50,191
0.971
51,679
147.0
-0.15
88.07
2015
 
50,750
0.973
52,159
148.3
0.93
87.49
2016
 
51,330
0.983
52,226
148.5
0.13
87.77
2017
 
52,613
1.000
52,613
149.6
0.74
87.21
2018
 
53,729
1.020
52,652
149.7
0.07
86.52
2019
 
55,935
1.035
54,036
153.7
2.63
86.83
2020
 
58,647
1.046
56,049
159.4
3.72
87.04
2021
 
60,580
1.090
55,577
158.1
-0.84
86.03
2022
 
62,528
1.160
53,883
153.2
-3.05
87.35
Source: Calculations by the Missouri Regional Economic Analysis Project (MO-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,179
0.189
38,018
100.0
N
1970
 
7,596
0.198
38,430
101.1
1.08
1971
 
8,103
0.206
39,326
103.4
2.33
1972
 
8,691
0.213
40,786
107.3
3.71
1973
 
9,336
0.225
41,579
109.4
1.94
1974
 
9,928
0.248
40,044
105.3
-3.69
1975
 
10,713
0.269
39,883
104.9
-0.40
1976
 
11,549
0.283
40,761
107.2
2.20
1977
 
12,412
0.302
41,131
108.2
0.91
1978
 
13,457
0.323
41,694
109.7
1.37
1979
 
14,568
0.351
41,454
109.0
-0.58
1980
 
15,657
0.389
40,220
105.8
-2.98
1981
 
17,066
0.424
40,237
105.8
0.04
1982
 
17,989
0.448
40,181
105.7
-0.14
1983
 
18,920
0.467
40,535
106.6
0.88
1984
 
20,181
0.484
41,663
109.6
2.78
1985
 
21,130
0.501
42,152
110.9
1.17
1986
 
22,078
0.512
43,104
113.4
2.26
1987
 
23,126
0.528
43,799
115.2
1.61
1988
 
24,408
0.549
44,487
117.0
1.57
1989
 
25,460
0.573
44,462
117.0
-0.05
1990
 
26,599
0.598
44,498
117.0
0.08
1991
 
27,537
0.618
44,577
117.3
0.18
1992
 
29,378
0.634
46,323
121.8
3.92
1993
 
30,101
0.650
46,309
121.8
-0.03
1994
 
30,909
0.664
46,580
122.5
0.59
1995
 
31,605
0.678
46,646
122.7
0.14
1996
 
32,810
0.692
47,411
124.7
1.64
1997
 
34,218
0.704
48,600
127.8
2.51
1998
 
36,011
0.710
50,743
133.5
4.41
1999
 
37,751
0.720
52,432
137.9
3.33
2000
 
39,903
0.738
54,053
142.2
3.09
2001
 
41,477
0.753
55,080
144.9
1.90
2002
 
42,406
0.763
55,584
146.2
0.92
2003
 
43,655
0.779
56,045
147.4
0.83
2004
 
45,456
0.798
56,943
149.8
1.60
2005
 
46,648
0.821
56,800
149.4
-0.25
2006
 
48,442
0.844
57,368
150.9
1.00
2007
 
49,382
0.866
57,019
150.0
-0.61
2008
 
50,298
0.892
56,407
148.4
-1.07
2009
 
50,041
0.889
56,276
148.0
-0.23
2010
 
52,191
0.905
57,661
151.7
2.46
2011
 
53,633
0.928
57,792
152.0
0.23
2012
 
55,061
0.945
58,245
153.2
0.78
2013
 
55,837
0.958
58,296
153.3
0.09
2014
 
56,990
0.971
58,680
154.3
0.66
2015
 
58,005
0.973
59,615
156.8
1.59
2016
 
58,480
0.983
59,501
156.5
-0.19
2017
 
60,329
1.000
60,329
158.7
1.39
2018
 
62,102
1.020
60,856
160.1
0.87
2019
 
64,419
1.035
62,233
163.7
2.26
2020
 
67,378
1.046
64,393
169.4
3.47
2021
 
70,421
1.090
64,606
169.9
0.33
2022
 
71,586
1.160
61,690
162.3
-4.51
Source: Calculations by the Missouri Regional Economic Analysis Project (MO-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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